Thrust-bearing.



No. 633,862. Patented Sept 26, I899.

, A. H.-L|GHT-HALL.

THBUST BEARING. I {Application filed Feb; 24, 1899.)

(In llodel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 633,862 Patented-fs'ept. 26, I899.

A. H. LIGHTHALL, TunusT' BEARING.

' 4 (Application filed Feb. 24, 1899.)

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AtM-ERIN H. LIGHT-HALL, or; ome ASSIGNOR, 13v DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'roHnNRY A: MAUR-ER AND HENRY MAURER, or

SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION romimgpartorLeaersratent neesasee, dated September 26, 1 s99.

To' cl/ll whom it may wag ing Be it known thatL-ALMER' N H Lterit'riintin, a citizen of the United states resiaingnp Ee'iv Yzork, in'the conntyof' New'York andstateof 5 New York, have invented certain "neivan'dn'se ful Improvements in Thrust-Bearings} and I do declare the following to he a i'hlhclear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as'w'ill enable others skilled in the artto \vhich In it appertains to make and use the same, referen'ce being had to the accompan ege-1w; ings', and to the letters ofreference" niarlg'e'd thereon, which form a part of th'is specification, I

This inventionrelates' to, thriist-b'earings, The primary object of" the presentf inv'ei1'- not is to provide an effectivethrnstbearing for the propeller-shaft ofa'v'e's'sel-capable' of adaptation to varying pressures incident to the'pro'pnlsion ofa vsselin either direction at varyingwsfpeeds and nnder varying-conditions; Furthehthe object of the invention isfto provide a'thrnst hearin g or suchco istruction that the pressure exercised ofithe'shaft'to'pro 2 5 pelavvessel in'eithe'r'direction shallhe im posed on'a liqnid maintained utaeeprieesnre; Fn'rther,'- the object of the invention is' to provide .a thrust-hearing of such constrnction that the pressure exercised on the shaft to'pro 3o pela vessel'in either direction shall, be posednp'on a liquid maintained nndfer pres sure, whichl liquid shall be ntiliZed for' the litb'rication of the shaft and of theparts connected thereto. p I r Further, the object of the invention is to provide a thrnst-b'earin g of such constrnction and having such attachments thatafl'tlid u' n der pressnresh'all by the rotation of theshaft to which the bearing is applied forced into the bearing and receive the-pres'snreofthe shaft as the-vessel injvvhich the shaft is'pla'ced I is driven in either direction. 7 o

W'ith these objects it vivq nem-veution consists, essentially, of a thrnst hea1fingcomprising an eiongated'sleeve or acr ersrtan diameter rigidly attached to a shaft; casings receiviii'gthe sleeveor jacket and having-its in er,re entrespo ding in diameter'toj that ofjtheontei'ffac'of the sleeve or j a t,1,cha'

j cket and those of the casing, and a liquid faintainedin the chambers and upon which the entire thrust of the shaft is imposed.

Fnrther, the invention consists of various novel d-etailsof constriic'tion, by Which'the effectivenessof the device is insured.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is'aside View of a hydraulic marine engine having my invention applied thereto, thesanie'being shown as located in a vessel. 2 isanend view of the bearing and of the means for'holding; itin place. Fig. 3 is a side view ofcneof the bracketsby which the bearmg is attached to' the'casin' g of the motor, and et 'is a horizontal sectional view of the bearing. V

In the drawings, A represents a propellershaft having, on'its outer end a propeller a and having its inner end extending through acasingvB. Fixed on the shaft and arranged in the casing Bis an impact water-wheel 0. (Shown bydotted lines in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings.) The water-wheel G receives motion frond water nnder pressure conveyed from a pump D through pipes E and projected against the heel. The parts above described, excepting" the shaft, are not claimed herein ad are only shown to, make clear the cons ate-non, arrangement, and use of the thrustbe'aring. The forward end of the shaft A is siistained and it and the parts connected with itjare'lnbricated by the means new to be described.

Fj'repres'ents a jacket or sleeve which is shrnnkupon or otherwise secured to the fortvard end of the shaft. Thisjacket or sleeve has in its outer, face a series of circnmferem tial grooves f, forming annhlz'trchambers upon the horizontal portions of the brackets, and the upturned ends h of the brackets extend between the shoulder g and the rib g on the respective sides of the shell G, and by this means the shell and the parts contained or carried by it are rigidly held in place. The rear end g of the shell or casing has a cylindrical extension g of a size to receive the shaft A, and the inner face of the extension has a series of grooves 9 extending around the same. The forward end g of the shell or casing has an extension g ,also grooved on its inner face. The forward end of the shaft has a reduced portion a", which is received by the opening in the extension g and serves to guide the shaft and maintain it in position during any longitudinal movement to which it may be subjected. The part a of the shaft is of much less diameter than the sleeve or jacket in order that the exposed endarea of the sleeve or jacket within the casing which comes in contact with the liquid under pressure may be reduced only slightly.

The shell or casing G is, as shown in Fig. i of the drawings, formed with an interior chamber larger at the rear end, and the jacket or sleeve F has an enlarged annular rear portion f corresponding in diameter to the inner diameter of the rear portion of the shell or casing, and its face which comes in contact with the inner face of the shell or casing has in it the annular grooves f. The length of the main portion of the sleeve or jacket F corresponds to the distance between the shoulder g and the rear face of the forward end g" of the shell or casing, so that when the sleeve or jacket is removed from the forward end g to form a chamber J between the forward end of the sleeve or jacket and the end g an annula-r chamberN is formed between the shoulder 9 and the enlarged portion f of the sleeve or jacket.

The sleeve or jacket being, as shown, of less length than the length of the interior of the shell or casing Gr, there will, when the parts are aggrouped, always be a space or chamber M between the rear end of the sleeve or jacket and the end g of the shell or casing, a chamber N between the shoulder g and the enlarged portion of the jacket or sleeve, and another chamber J between the latter and the forward end 9 of the shell. In order that spaces or chambers referred to shall at all times be filled with a liquid under pressure against which the sleeve or jacket shall bear when the vessel is propelled either forward or backward and upon which the entire strain of such propulsion shall be imposed, I provide a pump K, connected with a reservoir L, for forcing through suitable pipes a liquid, preferably oil, into the interior of the shell or casing G. As a convenient means of operating the pump K the piston thereof is connected to an eccentric on the propellershaft A, the length of the stroke imparted by the eccentric being regulated by the necessary pressure at which the liquid is required to be maintained in the shell or casing. The liquid from the pump is conducted to a cock L through a pipe l, and from this pipe extend the branch pipes Z and 1, leading, respectively, to the chambers M and J. The cock L is a two-way cock, as shown in Fig. l, and it has connected with it a drip or return pipe l extending to and connected with the reservoir L.

By the described construction and arrangement of parts it will be seen that when motion is imparted to the propeller-shaft A the liquid, such as oil, will be forced by the pump to the cock L and from thereby one of the branch pipes to either the chamber M or the chamber J. YVhen the vessel is propelled in a forward direction, the cock L is so turned as to allow the flow of oil from the pump to the chamber J. The position of the cock necessary to allow this connects the chamber M with the return or drip pipe i In the backward movement of a vessel the chamber M is connected with the reservoir.

In the operation of the thrust-bearing, when constructed and arranged as herein shown and described, the oil under pressure from the pump receives the entire pressure of the shaft in propelling the vessel in either direction, insuring a practically frictionless hearing. The lubrication of the sleeve or jacket and the shaft where it comes in con tact with the ends of the shell or casing is provided for by oil forced from the chamber M or J, according to the direction of movement of the vessel, between the sleeve or jacket and the shell, or between the shaft and the openings in the respective ends of the shell or casing. The oil forced between the parts is retained in the grooves with which the parts are provided in suitable quantities to afford perfect lubrication. The oil contained in the chamber N is forced from one of the end chambers by the pressure of the shaft. A portion of the oil in this chamber must escape therefrom, when, after the vessel is driven rearward fora time, the reverse movement is given, and as the escape must be effected by forcing the oil between the shell and the sleeve the escape is slow, and therefore a cushion which will prevent shocks or jars by the too-rapid longitudinal movement of the shaft under the described conditions is avoided.

Each chamber M and J has connected with it a pressure-gage P, by means of which the pressure on the liquid in a chamber in propellin g the wheel in one direction or the other,

and therefore the actual power exerted by the propeller-shaft, is indicated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A thrust bearing comprising an elongated sleeve or jacket of small diameter rigidly attached to a shaft, a casing receiving the sleeve or jacket and having its inner face corresponding in diameter to that of the outer face of the sleeve orjacket, chambers formed between the ends of the sleeve or jacket and those of the casing and means for maintaining aliquid under pressure in the chambers, substantially as described.

2. A thrust-bearing comprising an elongated sleeve or jacket of small diameter rigidly attached to a shaft, and provided with a series of open circumferential grooves,a casing receiving thesleeve or jacket and having its inner face corresponding in diameter to that of the outer face of the sleeve or jacket, chambers formed between the ends of the sleeve or jacket and those of the casing, and means for maintaining a liquid under pressure in the chambers, substantially as described.

3..A thrust-bearing comprising an elongated sleeve or jacket of small diameter rigidly attached to a shaft, and. a casing receiving the sleeve or jacket and having its inner face corresponding in diameter to thatof the outer face of the sleeve or jacket, chambers formed between the' ends of the sleeve or jacket and those of the casing, and means for forcing liquid under pressure into the chambers, substantially as described.

4:. At-hrust-bearing comprising a sleeve or jacket rigidly attached to a shaft and having an enlarged portion, a casing having its interior corresponding in size and shape to that of the jacket or sleeve, chambers formed between the ends of the sleeve or jacketand those of the casing, a chamber formed between the enlarged portion of the sleeve or jacket and that of the casing, and means for maintaining a liquid under pressure in the several chambers, substantially as described. I

.face of the sleeve or jacket,'ohambers formed between the ends of the sleeve or jacket and those of the casing, and means for maintaining a liquid under pressure in the chambers, substantially as described.

6. A thrust-bearing comprising a shaft, a sleeve or jacket rigidly attached to the shaft, a casing the interior of which corresponds in size to the exterior of the sleeve or jacket, elongated openings in each end of the casing for receiving the shaft and having grooves in their inner faces, chambers formed between the ends of sleeve or jacket and those of the casing, and means for maintaining a fluid under pressure in the chambers, substan tially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALMER-IN H. LIGHTHALL. 

